Need some verification that I followed Sylvander's flowchart correctly =)

[savingstars]

This was a fully functional computer, before I took away one stick of RAM, replaced the video card, and replaced a CD/DVD drive. I have an ASUS A7N8X-X motherboard with an Athlon XP 2400+ processor in the socket, and again, was fully functional beforehand.

When I closed the case up after I did my minor modifications, I tried to turn it on and nothing happened. The PC itself appeared to be dead, though you could hear the slight ringing when opening and closing the circuit to the PSU. Verified that the power source was functional and had the correct voltage set, and re-attached all of the wires etc. POST doesn't run, and there's no beep. Followed the flow chart and took all peripherals and expansion slots out, and just had the keyboard/monitor plugged in, and still nothing.


Honestly, something deep down feels like I just haven't connected things properly, though I've triple and quaduple, quintuple and septuple checked everything. The only thing I'm not 100% is the Auxillary Power cord is unattached (2 rows 6 slots, top rectangled, bottom squared), but I don't remember having it connected when it was working (though I could be mistaken), and I've looked at my manuals and the motherboard itself and just don't see a place for it, nor on any of my drives.

Does it sound like my gut is wrong and I'm being paranoid (as usual =P), and I have a problem with my motherboard? Or more like I didn't hook things up correctly?

[Sylvander]

So the PC appears dead?
No fans, no LED's, just a quiet ringing from the PSU? [Problems with the PSU?]
And this is with the hardware stripped back to a bare-bones setup?
Try removing the video card and the RAM.

On the DF1: START UP chart, a dead PC takes you to...
DF2: SYSTEM chart, where you test the PSU voltages, and if they're not ok you strip down to bare-bones until they are ok.
If it's still dead bare-bones, then you will be taken to the...
DF10a: ATX POWER SUPPLY chart where you check the mains supply is ok, the mains lead is ok, you use a screwdriver to short the on-switch connections on the motherboard.
If that fails, you short the green & black wires and reconnect the motherboard.
If that fails the PSU appears faulty.
You might need to use the info on the websites listed in the notes on the DF2: SYSTEM chart to test the PSU voltages are ok [or not] with nothing [not even the motherboard] connected.

TESTING ATX POWER VOLTAGES

See this http://www.ochardware.com/articles/psuvolt/psuvolt2.html

Black = ground
Red = +5 volts
White = -5 volts
Yellow = +12 volts
Blue = -12 volts
Orange = +3.3 volts (?)
Green = power on

Turn the power on. The fans should at least come on so that you know you have power.

Turn on the voltmeter and set it to measure DC voltage. Start with an IDE power connector that is not used. Place the black lead of the voltmeter in the hole of the connector that has a black wire (ground). Connect the red lead of the voltmeter first to the yellow hole and then to the red hole. The voltmeter should read +12v and +5v respectively.

The other voltages may usually be measured at the motherboard power connector by simply sliding the red multimeter test probe down the hole where each colour wire goes (with the black probe connected to any black wire as before). Really you only need to check the orange wire for 3.3 volts at this connector. If +12, +5, and +3.3 volts are all okay, then your power supply is probably fine.

Unfortunately, a low voltage measured in this way may mean a bad PSU or that some other component (motherboard, etc.) has a short and is pulling the voltage down. Therefore, the main value of measuring voltages is to eliminate the PSU as a source of the problem (if it has normal voltages).

I'm no expert on this, just someone who collated the info and passed it on.